Main menu

Post navigation

Monday was a stinking slag heap of a day. Monday’s scene was scrambled, it couldn’t get itself together, and despite noble, persistent and good-natured attempts by yours truly to bring it around and call it to its higher self, Monday didn’t even try to work things out with me. I tried with Monday, I really did. I tried going for a training ride – it’s been so hard to find the time and energy, only to get a stinking flat tire. (Which I changed, with no amount of struggling for good humour.) I trudged through it, attempting to charm it into submission, but Monday proved too much for me, and after spending the evening’s knitting time trying to untangle a ball of yarn that had contorted itself into something that looked like it had been in a toddler’s toy chest for a week, I fell into bed that night thinking the best thing an optimistic person can after a day that’s clearly out to get them, which was “well, at least it’s over.”

Tuesday? Tuesday wasn’t as bad as Monday, but let’s be clear, it lacked the joie de vivre and decent good sense that any day attempting to follow a train-wreck of a Monday should have had. Tuesday didn’t even try. I gave up on Tuesday last night when it rained on me last night and the porch roof leaked.

Today? Today is, rather literally, sunshine and roses. I went for a training ride by myself, and it was nothing short of lovely. Not too hot, not too cold, very sunny but I didn’t get a sunburn, my inbox is almost sorta kinda under control, and I am finally ready to start the edging on this baby blanket.

The chart I devised even works, and I have a clever idea for the corners that I think will work, though I’m not far enough off from Monday and Tuesday’s pale curse to go so far as to say I’m confident. My jeans fit just right, and tonight I’m having dinner (it’s Joe’s turn to arrange it) and a cuddle with Elliot Tupper, and he has learned to smile and has the beginnings of a clumsy laugh, and does his best to pretend he likes me best. (Joe will argue and say it’s him that’s the favourite, and even that charms me.)

Happy Summer Solstice, my friends (except for Cameron and other knitters in the Southern hemisphere – for them it’s one of my favourite days, the Winter Solstice. Light a candle. As of today, the light is on it’s way back to you.) Tonight we’ll sit in the garden, ignore the weeds, and marvel at how long it stays light.

68 thoughts on “”

I had a remarkably similar week so far, although without any biking-related flat tires. I did have to put air in my car’s tire this morning. I am hoping it was a fluke and not an actual issue with the tire that was purchased new in January. *sigh*

The blanket looks so soft and lovely. There is something about white for babies that makes my heart smile.

Here’s hoping your week continues to improve at a steady pace and that by Friday you are on top of all the things! <3

This week has featured a higher than average amount of fetch with the world’s best dog. I believe I’ll continue to make Syd a priority because it’s hard to be gloomy when you’re petting soft ears and throwing a ball. : )

Ah, we did that trying to book a hotel for a Canadian vacation. (For the record, I understand discouraging Americans — we’re pretty discouraged, too — but it was an American booking site.) Finally cobbed together something, then the next day sailed into the sweetest booking for Quebec City you ever did see. Going out on the deck for wine and cheese with a pal. Thanks for asking. Blow a raspberry under Elliot’s chin for me.

The picture of the baby blanket looks magical to me – the lighting casts a glow of warmth and possibility! It does feel like this week (along with many recent ones) just stormed in, stompped me and ran off, without so much as a “how d’ye do”! At least I’m not alone in that…

Ah yes. Long twilight evenings. I moved from upstate New York years ago and the thing I miss most is sitting on the porch on the long summer evenings. Living in Phoenix, Arizona, however, means never having to argue with kids they they have to go to bed even though it’s still light out. Sunset tonight here: 7:38 pm.

There’s really nothing quite like a summer night in New York. I’m from the Westchester area, but we spent a lot of our summer up in Schoharie County at my grandpa’s farm and at night, sitting around the bonfire, you could just see the whole sky.

We’re having the week from hell (literally) here in Northern California. Temperatures ranging from 100 to 110 F. (38 to 43 C.) – and the electricity going off 3 hours at a time twice in the last 3 days. Too hot to knit

Just last week I was in Victoria, B.C. and it was lovely and cool – take me back!!!

This whole week has been difficult and if it weren’t for reading a whole whack of Kathy Reichs novels I might have been tempted to do something desperate. My knitting sucks at the present time. I have two pairs of socks on the needles and I loathe both of them – no idea why. I am trying to finish up a blanket before the really hot weather hits, and it’s bubblegum pink, not my favourite, but it’s a commission, so… Then someone wished a puppy on me while they moved house, and he’s lovely, but I’m torn between urgently wanting him to go home, and wanting him never to have to go home. He’s a sweetie-pie and wicked smart, is going to be enormous, and having more than a dollop of wolf in his background, is so teachable that he could probably learn to knit if he had opposable thumbs. However, he is still a pup so that is several times a day each of feeds and walks, which for an old bat like me is hard to do. We also just ran out of dog food, forcing me to sally forth to get more, also something I am not inclined towards right now. Ah well, life goes on and on aggregate things tend to get better. Wishing you and The Blog a better week.

Two weeks ago I learned about the Furminator for dogs and cats. I ordered one from Ebay (way cheaper) and furminated enough fur from my cat to spin 100 grams of yarn! (yuck, not doing that). Who knew a tool could make me so happy?!

My cat loves loves loves the Furminator. I stop brushing her way before she’s ready for the brushing to stop. I think when they’re shedding their winter coat for summer, it’s such a relief to have someone get rid of a lot of it for them. 🙂

Had a fabulous day. Drove up to Lakefield and had a wonderful lunch with my husband. Life is good! Got to enjoy these beautiful sunny days. Sorry about your Monday and Tuesday. Saw lots of cyclists. Thought of you.

Summer Solstice always depresses me because it means THE DAYS ARE GETTING SHORTER! Summer finally starts and they days are already getting shorter?! Something’s wrong with that! Have to laugh at my Captcha – it says “touch the cat” but my husband’s family’s motto (Clan McPherson) is “Touch Not the Cat Bot a Glove.”

My bedroom is over the garage, so it gets hot despite the air conditioning. The table fan used to keep the room bearable died about 2 AM. I ended up sleeping on the sofa.
Have you taught Elliot to cast on yet?

Monday was a really, busy, productive and satisfying day. Tuesday was a missed opportunity, with a huge slump of energy hinder any kind of progress on any kind of work task. Wednesday was better. I decided that I COULD come to work and mark assignments whilst knitting (I can read a screen a knit a sock at the same time), and it made marking less laborious. I got quite a few papers done. And then of course, the Tasmanian Winter solstice was just wonderful. It ended up with a big cuddle with the kids, and more sock knitting. I want days like this everyday. But then, I forgot my knitting before coming to work this morning… :/ Maybe I should have a permanent project near my desk? Maybe another sock?

Spent about 2 hours holding my new grandson today and then had tea with a friend I hadn’t seen in several years. Overall, a pretty good day. Enjoy your time with Elliot, he definitely likes you best, no matter what Joe says.

Have you ever read “Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day” by Judith Viorst? It is a wonderful children’s book about your kind of Monday but through the lens of a child. When you have a day like that, the only thing to do is to go to bed and end it!

Celebrated the solstice today in NH by taking a long lovely solitary bike ride, looking at a new bike purchase, taking a wonderful Yin Yoga class to work out the muscles and welcome the season of light with light. Namaste all!

It is 8:26pm here in Connecticut, USA and it is not dark yet! I was reminded by my husband that today is the longest day of they year and, as he put it “it’s all downhill from here”. I almost screamed at him!

Been sitting out on the back porch with the dogs, watching Stitches, my baby corn snake pop her head out of her bedding and head into the rafters via the artificial plant.

Today involved no burst pipes at the back of the shopping center where my store is…that was yesterday. It could have been a lot worse. Yesterday just involved a bit of mopping up and the soggy parts of the carpet started to dry out today.

20 yes ago my love and I chose to celebrate the solstice and our amazing journey. We’re both still trying to figure out how 20 years could have come and gone. On the needles I have: a lovely bright green sweater because the summer heat will not last; a lovely shawl, that was a shawl, was ungraciously frogged and forced into imitating a sock, frogged again, and returned to become a lovely shawl again; a sublime wrap for a college bound daughter. Salut to all and best wishes.

My day was awesome. Why? Because I had a student get really excited when he figured out how to write a cédille correctly – he is 6 and this was a big accomplishment!
FYI – a cédille in the accent under th c in garçon

Well, yesterday I loaded and moved 27 wheelbarrows full of sheep manure from the pile by my sheep shed. Still waiting on the shearer. That wore my out enough that I enjoyed the padded dentist chair today – nothing serious, just cleaning. I’m knitting the lacey hem of a large crescent shawl with an incredible yarn called Suri Decadence. It’s 90% sure and 10% mega silk.
Love how the baby blanket is coming along so far!

We just enjoyed our winter solstice in Victoria, Australia and while you were out on your bike, I may have been stepping out my 8k daily walk in the chill of early dusk. I love my long walks (my jeans fit perfectly because of them) and it’s a great time to mull over knitting in progress or knitting planned. Your shawl looks marvellous!

I was going to recommend Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day, but someone beat me to it! Obligatory reading at the end of a rotten day–oddly comforting to child and adult alike. Still working on embroidering the shawl (that’s going to be my answer for a very long time), but I also have several new projects on the needles and am having fun dyeing some of the colors I need for the embroidery. Judith’s canning jar method for small batches is really working well–I have some half pint jars that just fit a hundred yards or so of the laceweight. Learning that came at the perfect time!

Record heat in southern Arizona,115 with 4% humidity at our house on the solstice! Am hunkered down with knitting (no wool) and lots of iced tea. Only ventured out for new tires on the car in preparation for trip to San Diego and some cool coastal fog next week.

Celebrated the solstice by having a busy day at work then home for a quiet dinner with the old guy and a little hand holding in the twilight before unearthing some very bright pink yarn to make pussy hats for myself, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. Last Friday they said that I am a “rebel girl” just like them, which means we are strong, smart, kind, and brave. We need pink hats. I decided it’s never too late to hop on that bandwagon. I figure it has a wide and welcoming tailgate for us latecomers. Casting on.

Another Southern Hemisphere Victorian- it was a nice Solstice here. I love the photo of your blanket and so enjoyed your great way of writing about tackling a week that is overfilled, and the pain/joy of knitting. Off now to squeeze in a few rows before the work day bites.

Thank you for asking! My day has been good, the weather here is perfect and I got some knitting done, too. The only downside is that yesterday, while weeding and mulching, I either found something I’m allergic to or got bitten because there’s a big, swollen, red… patch near my knee. Itchy, but ignorable, save that it’s becoming hard to squat/bend my knee and that’s annoying. Benadryl and Ibuprophen, I hope, will help!

I’m sorry Monday was such a trudge, and Tuesday not the shining example of opposite it ought to have been. It’s due to rain the next few days here (VT), so I will hope for rain for you, too, so you can stay inside and snuggle beautiful babies. Please marvel at his toes for me (baby toes are magnificent, aren’t they?!)

Monday. Such attitude. Monday dropped a 60′ tree in my yard. Right. Alongside. The. Garage. No real damage. A nudge from the universe that yes, she can parallel park a spruce if she wants to.
Wedsnesday evening brought the sounds of two dogs barking goodnight to each other, the neighbor kids playing basketball, a mountain breeze coming in the window and the far off sound of fireworks after the ballgame.
Not a bad spot to be in. There will be mulch.

Today I was supposed to work a short day, so I could get home and pack for my trip to Az tomorrow, because they moved me to a 5 am departure (so I am getting up at 2am) due to the high temps in Phoenix all week.

So today, I had a surprise “client wants to work with a rep today and we choose YOU, pikachu!” start, so I ended up working an extra long day instead of a shorter day. With my boss, his boss, and a client rep. So no pressure there. Which segued into “by the way miss, you have a brake light out” conversation with a nice sheriff’s deputy (but he was nice enough to not give me a ticket) and finished with stopping at the parts store to get a new bulb and locking my keys in the car. Luckily I was only a mile or so from home, so I had a nice walk in the 90 degree heat with a bajillion percent humidity in order to acquire my husband’s keys. Luckily, I was able to catch a bus back to the store.

So it’s 815, we just finished dinner and I still have to pack and shower… But maybe I can sleep on the plane tomorrow?

I have read this blog 3 times already. It is so beautifully written and funny! My entire week has been Mondays and Tuesdays which I have filled with many 4-letter words. Perhaps your outlook is a better way to approach these days–and put an end to them. Well, I’m hoping for a better weekend. P.S. Please more pictures of the baby. You can never have too many baby pictures.

I had a similar week, rough to begin with but it got better by the end. At the beginning of the week, we were still kind of reeling from my grandfather’s death. It wasn’t unexpected entirely, he’d been placed in a nursing home a week before, but it was sudden enough that none of us were able to be there. I was so distracted at work Monday and Tuesday I ended up taking Wednesday off (which I hate to do, I hate missing work) to get my head on straight. Sometimes you just need to reset your brain. By Thursday, though, I was able to finish a (school) project that’s been hanging over my head for weeks and finally catch up on the sleep I’ve been missing. Last night, I got to go see the farewell performance of Diana Vishneva from the American Ballet Theater, which was very much bittersweet. Here’s hoping to next week is better for all of us. At least I was able to finish a test knit on time!

I’ve just found your blog and am charmed by it and the way you write. So sorry about Millie and happy Canada day. Yes we have just had the winter solstice and are on our way back to long days. I feel the same about being born in Australia that you do about Canada. How lucky are we both.